Oak Tree Bistro opened Friday as Pope County’s 15th establishment operating with a private club license that allows the sale of alcohol in an otherwise dry county.

The restaurant received its private club permit earlier this month with no objections from public officials or area residents, records from the Department of Finance and Administration’s division of Alcoholic Beverage Control show. La Huerta on North Arkansas Avenue was the last Pope County business to receive an alcohol permit, which was issued in February.

There are eight restaurants, bars and country clubs with such licenses in Yell and Johnson counties, which — like Pope — are dry counties that border wet ones. Nearby Conway County has 39 businesses with permits on file with Alcoholic Beverage Control, including 21 liquor stores, while Logan County has 29 locations where alcohol is sold, including 14 stores that sell packaged beer and wine but not liquor.

Private club licenses by county

The Alcoholic Beverage Control division of the state Department of Finance and Administration provided the following lists of active private club licenses to The Courier on Friday. All Pope County addresses are in Russellville unless otherwise specified.